I'll put a spell on you
by firstdonoharm
Summary: Time is running out for the team. A cool calm killer is losing his control, just like Grissom. GSR with angst.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hello everyone. This is my first fan fic so thank you all for giving it a try. Hope you enjoy it. Please read and review as I would love to hear your opinions as this is after all a fan fic for you all. Please enjoy…….**

**Title: I'll put a spell on you**

**Story Type: GSR angst/drama/romance with Casefile.**

**Rating:M to be safe**

**Disclaimer: CSI does not belong to me. Neither do the characters. Or the plots. Or the actors. In fact neither does this computer. Or this house. But my ideas do. So I can pretend for a little can't I? This is all out of appreciation for everyone who brings us CSI and for that I thank them greatly. **

**_So enjoy my friends, for there is always light…… _**

_**Chapter 1 **_

_Lean in my friend's, pull your chairs in close and I'll tell you a story of two lost souls. This is for the dreamers, who never give up hope. Who sail the ship into darkness searching for the light. This is for the dreamers, who hold tight and never fall. Who sail the ship so willingly for true love will conquer all. So follow me my dreamers, in silence if you may and we'll join our two lost souls on this hot Las Vegas day………… _

The searing heat engulfed the resident's of Las Vegas, relentless and demanding. It had been over four hours since sunset but the earth still gasped for breath. Gil Grissom gently pulled his SUV to a stop outside the small well kept house and removed the keys from the engine.

"Greg should be just behind us, I called and he's still stuck in traffic" Sara announced, breaking the silence that had fallen during their brief journey. Grissom turned towards her "Ok. Work the outside until he arrives and then join me in the house. I'll go talk to Brass" She nodded and got out. His gaze followed her briefly before he got out. Adjusting his sunglasses, he surveyed the crowd before spotting Brass and heading over to him.

"Hey, neighbour called the police after the dog had been barking all evening. Apparently it was out of character. So my guys broke in at . . . ." He checked his notebook "11:13pm, they found the victim in the master bedroom. They checked vitals, left and then called it in" Grissom nodded.

"I'll need their statements and shoes" Brass smiled anticipating this "Taken care of" He handed Grissom two separate evidence bags and Grissom thanked him.

"Is David still with the body?" He asked glancing towards Sara as she walked up beside him.

"Yep" Brass sighed "This one's going to take some time"

Grissom entered the bedroom and stood perfectly still. In his many years as a CSI he had seen many things but this scene would definitely last in his memory. It wasn't a visual memory but one of feeling. It didn't feel right. The room was cool as the windows were wide open, too wide Grissom thought. It was tidy, very tidy, everything had a place. Clothes were folded neatly on a hamper, cosmetics neatly lined the dressing table and the bed was neatly made. It would have been spotless if it wasn't for the swarm of blood that engulfed the sheets and dripped into a puddle on the hardwood floor. The source of this blood Grissom couldn't be sure as a white towel covered the victim from mid thigh to her shoulders, it was also soaked in blood. She could have been asleep. David turned towards Grissom "I don't know where to begin. I've pronounced death but I didn't want to touch anything. I've never seen anything like this before"

Grissom walked over to him. "It's ok David, I'll let you know when you can move the body" David nodded and headed out of the bedroom.

Grissom continued to stare at the body and didn't have to turn around to know that Sara had entered the room. His body was always heightened to her presence. It bothered him.

"Greg's working the outside" He acknowledged her comment briefly before returning his gaze back to the body, Sara's followed. The victim was female. Sara noticed her long black hair flowing over the bed and looked like it had been brushed. Sara couldn't see her face as there were multiple photos that covered it. After taking general location shots she stepped closer and began to photograph the face more clearly. She counted at least eight individual photos, all placed together to make a complete face. She glanced at Grissom who had started to fingerprint the window ledges and frames.

"Who do you think the photos are of?" She asked, gaining his full attention. He shrugged and paced over to the dressing table. There were a large selection of photos on it and he picked up one of a beautiful young women.

"Our victim maybe" He handed the photo to Sara, who studied it and then the photos on the face again. "Looks like the same girl. So why take photos of her face and then cover her face in them" It was an open question that she didn't require an answer for. It was impossible to understand some acts of human nature. She bent down and began to collect the photos, bagging and photographing each one separately. After several minutes she spoke allowed to Grissom who had just finished printing the windows. "It looks like her hair was brushed. There's a brush . . . ." She paused suddenly, something that caught Grissom's attention. He moved towards her and immediately identified the source of her silence.

"Her eyes have been removed" She stated softly, her voice trembling in disbelief.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks for the great reviews they really spurned me on. Sorry about the wait for this chapter. Struggled with it a bit plus the fact that I and time do not get on …..hope you enjoy! Please R&R**

**P.S I'm looking for a Beta if anyone is interested, you can email me or PM me at YTDAW thanks! **

**Disclaimer: Still not mine  **

Doc Robbins heard the morgue doors close softly and looked up to greet the two CSI's that had just entered. "Hey, well CODIS and dental records have confirmed that the victim is the homeowner, Chloe Dupree, 25, 125lbs and 5.6 inches tall"

He took a short pause and continued, "Cause of death is a single deep stab would to the heart" He directed his finger to the wound "Pierced the left ventricle and resulted in immediate death". Greg peered over to examine the wound more closely. "From measurements I'd say you're looking for a weapon at least 7cm long and approximately 1.5cm wide"

Greg's eyes darted up "With a weapon like that, hitting the left ventricle that precisely would have been difficult. Killer must have some knowledge of human anatomy."

Doc Robbins smiled "I'd agree with you on that. Other incisions on the body are clean and smooth, so I'd guess scalpel, which fits in with your idea"

"What kind of weapon was used for the stab wound?" Grissom asked.

"Wound shape and texture indicates that it's not a knife. Judging by the dimensions I'd say it's more like a ……sharp fencing sword or…..poker" Greg glanced curiously at Grissom and then back to the doc.

"Can you place time of death?" Grissom enquired. Doc Robbins shook his head.

"It's difficult to say" He pointed to a large vertical scar that began at the base of the victim's throat and ended at her belly button "After I removed the towel, which had been glued in place. . ." On this note he handed Greg a large evidence bag containing the remains of the bloody towel ". . . I discovered this wound, when I opened it I found that the liver had been removed and the entire internal cavity had been filled with dry ice, before being sown up again."

Grissom's brow furrowed. "The liver is not the only way of determining time of death."

Doc Robbins nodded his head in agreement "Not the only but it is helpful in cases such as these. The dry ice has also disrupted normal decomp, so guessing by rigor and appearance I'd estimated that she's been dead about eight hours, give or take an hour. An exact time is difficult."

Grissom pointed to a faint thick black line on the victims torso "Any idea what this is?"

The doc shook his head "Some sort of grease paint or marker. There was more of it visible before autopsy. David photographed the torso extensively and sent the pics to Archie. I've taken a sample of the substance for you" He handed Grissom a small plastic specimen jar, containing several swabs, and Grissom thanked him.

"It looks like it's been washed off" Greg noted enthusiastically. Grissom smiled, impressed with Greg's alertness today.

"I think you're right. Our killer is very house proud and although it's extreme that he would wash the victim as well, it's not unheard of."

Greg smiled, pleased with himself and Doc Robbins continued "There were also signs of sexual assault. I've collected a kit and sent it away but if this guy is as tidy as you say he is then I won't be surprised if he used a condom."

Grissom suspected that he would have done. This guy was a perfectionist. His gaze fell upon the victims face and Doc Robbins followed his cue,

"Her ears were sown shut and her eyes removed. There were no signs of haemorrhaging in the surrounding tissue which means that the eyes were removed after she was killed. Thank god for small mercies."

Grissom's voice broke softly "Hear no evil, see no evil….." Doc Robbins interrupted "and speak no evil, which brings me to my next point."

XXX

The break room was empty except for Sara Sidle who sat sipping a cup of coffee and studying a pile of ruffled notes. Her gaze shifted towards the door as Warrick entered.

"Hey, you're here late aren't you?" He smiled and slumped into the chair opposite.

"I'm pulling a double. This Ledden case has us stumped and the Mayor wants answers" Sara laughed "A friend of the Mayor's is. . " He finished her sentence with a laugh of his own "is a friend of ours, yeah I remember." Their laughter died down and after a few minutes Grissom entered. He briefly acknowledge them and then walked over to the coffee machine.

"Anything back from Jacqui or DNA yet" He directed towards Sara.

"I'm still waiting on DNA to run and Jacqui matched all the prints to the victim except for a partial on the window seal. It never got a hit in AFIS. Greg found nothing outside. All rubbish bags were missing and so was the vacuum bag"

She took another sip of coffee and waited for Grissom's response. The silence was broken by a loud yawn from Warrick who had now leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. Sara smiled. She couldn't remember how many times she'd pulled a double or how many times she'd felt like that. Still smiling, she turned back towards Grissom and was surprised to notice that he had been watching her. Curiously, he held her gaze. Confused, her smile slowly faulted before she turn back to Warrick in response to his deep yawn. She laughed again. "I think you need a coffee"

"More like an espresso" He mumbled, stretching his arms into the air.

Grissom's voice drew her attention "Well I think we've just got our first lead" When she turned towards him he was gone. She quickly stood up and gathered her notes together before heading after him.

"Later Warrick, good luck with your case" She called over her shoulder. "Yeah you to" He threw back, raising his hand in appreciation.

XXX

Five minutes later she found him in the lab hunched over a large display table. She gently pulled up a chair, trying hard not to disturb his concentration, and sat next to him. He was staring at a crumpled piece of A4 paper that was laid out in front of him. When he spoke it was soft, "Doc Robbins found this down the back of the victim's throat."

Sara leant forward and began to read the neat precise handwriting aloud. "Love looks not with eyes, but with mind; And therefore is winged cupid painted blind." She looked at Grissom and was surprised to see that for the second time today she had caught him staring at her. He looked back at the note sharply, his voice gruff when he spoke next,

"So I guess we know why her eyes were removed, a disgruntled lover maybe?"

Sara sighed "Maybe, but why remove her eyes and then restore her face with photos. For some reason the killer didn't want her to remain disfigured." She looked at Grissom awaiting his reply. The silence was broken when Greg entered.

"Hey, results are back from the towel. White cotton and widely available. Blood matched the victim but it was diluted meaning that it was probably placed on her after she was killed. The glue used to glue it and the photos were a match. It's a standard type. . . ." He consulted his notes "Fix-It superglue. It's sold at about 120 outlets in the Vegas area. He sighed in frustration.

"Well we know that sexual activity took place. Doc Robbins sent the kit off. So Greg why don't you run with that" Greg nodded in reply "And we are still waiting on the results from the substance swabbed from the victim's chest, for which Archie is enhancing the images. Brass is doing a background check so it's all about patience" Brass's voice interrupted Grissom.

"Well patience and maybe a little divine intervention. We've just found another victim."


	3. Chapter 3

_Hi to everyone who is still along for the ride. Hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Year. Sorry about the wait for an update, i'll try harder...promise. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, they made my day and a big big thanks to **Rouch** for Beta and basically co-wrting this chapter! Hope you all enjoy :-)_

The graveyard shift had ended over an hour ago with everyone frustrated by a shift that had yielded another victim, but little else. Gil Grissom stood in the locker room doorway, silently watching Sara. He had stayed late, finishing paperwork, and had come to collect his things when he saw her.

That was ten minutes ago.

He hadn't intended to watch her, but he'd found the rare opportunity to look at her freely—a gift he did not wish to pass on. The last time he'd seen her was an hour before shift ended, laughing at a joke that Greg had told. Her phone had rung and she'd excused herself.

Now she was a different person. Still, shoulders slumped forward and head down. He thought he heard her mumble once or twice. When she started to cry he was powerless to stop himself from going to her. He moved silently and slowly as if she were a wild animal he did not want to flee. When he sat next to her she didn't stir.

"Hey what's wrong?" He asked as he involuntary took her hand. This gained her attention, her face registering surprise.

"It's nothing" She said softly, her voice breaking silently and her free hand wiping away her falling tears.

He squeezed her hand gently and spoke her name softly. After everything she had shared with him in the last few months he hoped that he had gained her trust. He squeezed her hand once more not wanting to say another word until she was ready.

As if acknowledging his unspoken concerns she spoke even softer than before, "I got a phone call earlier, it was from my mother's lawyer. I'd been trying to find her, for closure I guess or… maybe a new beginning" She shook her head and he watched a solitary tear danced down her face. "He said that contact couldn't be made with her. I guess it dawned on me that I'll probably never see her again." A small sob escaped her throat.

He was torn. He wanted to comfort her so much more, to pull her into him and whisper that everything would be ok. But he couldn't. He knew that. She knew that.

She continued, her voice slightly clearer this time, "You know all I ever thought as a child was that if I tried harder, behaved better, then maybe things would have been better. Maybe they would have got along better. I never thought I'd lose them both."

Grissom sighed, his empathy for her tightening around his heart and making it hard for him to breath. "You know it's natural for children in these situations to feel that they could have done something that would have changed the outcome. But eventually they realize that there's nothing that they could have done because a person's nature can not be changed unless they want it to,"

He explained and then fell silent. Slowly his gaze met hers. Her eyes were soft and gentle, accepting the depth of his words.

"Thanks Grissom," she said sincerely, flashing him a beautiful soft smile and squeezing his hand gently before standing up and wiping her eyes once more.

He watched her retrieve her bag from her locker and place it over her shoulder before clicking her locker shut. Then she gently swept her hair out of her collar and he privately admired on how beautiful she looked.

"I'll see you tonight?" She asked, turning towards him and treating him to another smile.

He nodded, and as she turned to leave, he called her name. She turned towards him once more, eyes filled with anticipation. At that moment he wanted her company far more than he wanted peace of mind for his heart.

"Have breakfast with me," he stated simply.

XXX

The diner was quiet and filled with the soft morning glow of the sun. Grissom glanced at his watch, and was pleased that they were in time to beat the lunchtime rush. They chose not to sit at the usual group table, but had opted for a smaller two-seater set at the rear of the diner. They had already ordered their food and were sitting in uncomfortable silence.

Sara fiddled with her silverware unsure of what to say or do. As she stared intensely at the bent fork, she was surprised when Grissom's hand suddenly appeared, and covered her nervous hand. Looking up, their eye's locked, and she cleared her throat, "It's not like it used to be huh?"

Tilting his head he considered her comment, "We were young. Now we're older, wiser and—"

"—boring," she finished for him with a slight smirk.

He nodded, "I prefer to refer to it as seasoned."

"Seasoned? Well, I don't know about that, but you're a lot harder to impress," she answered honestly.

Taking his hand back, he didn't know how to interpret her words. There was no hurt in them, merely facts she seemed to have come to terms with.

Noting his confused look, she chose to let him off the hook, "'Quantitative Population Ecology Seminar', guest speaker, Dr. Gilbert Grissom," she recounted playfully. "I was in the front row…you actually stumbled a little on your way to the podium because you were so focused on me."

"I don't think that was my fault. You were wearing that skirt, playing with your hair, and daring me to teach you something you hadn't already read," he replied lightly. "And as I recall you waited in line for over 20 minutes to talk to me."

She scowled slightly, "I had a legitimate question! You were _so_ serious. Don't think I've heard you refer to yourself as Doctor Gilbert Grissom since," she told him, laughter evident in her voice.

He laughed harder now. Not at the memory, _that_ made him cringe, but at the way she was laughing as she told the story. He had missed this, them. The laughter was interrupted when the waitress brought their meals and they ate in relative silence for the next fifteen minutes. Their conversation started up once again when their plates were cleared.

"Do you ever miss the teaching?" Sara asked, sipping her tea.

"Well it's never really stopped. One of the advantages of being a supervisor I guess. Wouldn't go back to it now, it has taken me ages for me to get my office how I like it." A small grin escaped his lips when he got the response he expected.

"Not with all those preserved specimens, especially that piglet," she countered her nose wrinkled, but then her features softened "I do like the butterflies though." She smiled and continued sipping her tea having no idea of how much her last comment pleased him.

XXX

The Nevada heat washed over Sara as they left the climate controlled diner. It was only 10 a.m. but the sun was beating down on them already. Walking in silence to Grissom's car, she watched in amusement as he opened the door for her.

After ensuring she was settle, he closed the door, and moved to the driver's side. Once inside, he started the engine, and they drove in companionable silence. Entering the parking lot of the crime lab, he searched for her car.

"Actually, you can just drop me off at the front," she explained, pointed toward the entrance.

He glanced a disapproving look her way, "Aren't you driving home, you'll need fresh eyes for tonight."

She rolled her eyes as she fought back a grin, "I'm not a complete work-a-holic Griss."

He merely stared in disbelief.

She offered him her most sincere fake wounded look she could muster. "Ok, maybe I am. My car's in the shop so I'm going to catch the bus home."

Grissom shook his head. "You live ten minutes from me. I'll drop you off at home," he told her as he pointed the car toward the exit.

"You really don't—"

"—have to listen to you," he interrupted glancing subtly at her to make sure she picked up on his sarcasm.

She let a laugh escape her, "Yes sir, bossman."

He smiled openly, but not just because of her mocked reply. Her laugh was something he seldom heard around the lab lately, and was pleased that he was able to elicit a few since shift ended…thirteen to be exact he noted mentally.

Twenty minutes later they had parked as close to her apartment as they were allowed. A haze of people and fire engines had greeted them, sending the street's normal afternoon hustle and bustle into overdrive. As soon as Grissom had found an adequate place to park the car, Sara had jumped out and bounded towards a small group of people that had gathered around a flustered looking fire fighter. Grissom had quickly followed and by the time he caught her up she was already seeking answers from the officer in charge.

"Hey, just take a minute to calm down. Getting worked up won't help anyone. There has been a fire in your complex basement. It's now under control but we fear that it may have left the building structure unsafe. We are not allowing anyone back into the building until it has been cleared by a structural engineer".

Sara's sigh punctuated the end of his sentence. "How long will that be?" she asked, disheartened.

The officer took a deep breath and shifted his stance slightly "Might be a week, give or take a few days. Do you have anywhere to stay?"

Shaken, she did not respond, so Grissom intervened.

"Yes, she does. Thanks Officer". And with that he gave the officer a last smile of thanks before gently taking Sara's arm and leading her back to the sanctuary of his car.

Once inside he turned on the air conditioning in a vain effort to drown out the outside chaos before turning his attention back to Sara.

She sat silently.

"You can stay with me. I have a spare guest room," he offered.

She turned to him slowly, eyes vacant. Finally she shook her head and spoke, "It's ok. I'll get a motel room. You don't have to be put out as well".

He sighed and took her hand gently. "The last thing I'll be is put out."

She smiled softly at this, as did he, "I'll be fine Grissom. A week in a motel won't do me any harm."

He shook his head this time, "Sara. I have the room. You need to be fresh for this case. The last thing you need is to be stuck in a motel alone worrying about your apartment. I have a guest bathroom, books and a laptop. Plus you don't have your car." It was the truth and rational. Or at least that's what he told himself.

He could still see the doubt swarming in her eyes, "I'm sure that I won't even notice that you're there." That was a lie. He knew it. And if she did then she never let on.

With one last sigh he saw some doubts leave her eyes, to be replaced by submission. "Ok. But if it runs over a week then I'll get out of your hair. Deal?"

Her words were serious and he decided not to push the matter any further. "Deal," He answered seriously for her sake.

A small smile escaped her lips in acceptance, which he returned, before starting up the engine, pulling out of their space and heading towards his place. Trying as hard as he could to convince himself _'**This** was a good idea. **This was** a good idea. **This was a** good idea. **This was a good **idea. **This was a good idea**'. _


	4. Chapter 4

**_A/N Hi everyone who is still here. Sorry this chapter took a while to update, i'm trying really :-) Hope you all enjoy and please R&R as they make my day! _**

The front door of Gil Grissom's townhouse opened with a soft thud as its owner struggled to work out the mechanics of getting so many bags through such a small space. When he finally reached the large glass dining table he was more than happy to relinquish his load. Sara, who had followed behind him, was trying desperately not to laugh.

"If this is why men don't like shopping then I can see why" He grumbled as he inspected his hand for long lasting injuries.

"Men are just wimps. That's the real reason"

The mock glare he threw her did little to curb her laughter.

After leaving her apartment building they had driven back to the lab to collect her spare clothing and then driven to a local store to stock up on essentials and food. When they had finally reached his townhouse it was two hours later than he had anticipated and he was exhausted.

Letting out a small stiffed yawn, he headed towards the kitchen, throwing his keys on the table as he did so.

"Coffee?"

Sara nodded her head in acceptance and walked over to one of his many display cabinets. He watched her, as she browsed each display with an enchanting curiosity before finally stopping to study one specimen more closely. He smiled and willed his concentration back to the task in hand. He did not have to ask her how she liked her coffee. He had silently watched her making it many times before. Her voice drew his attention.

"You know, in all the years I've known you I've only ever been to your house once….during the Sid Goggle case"

His eyes flicked towards her but she was now staring at another display case.

"That makes us even then" He mumbled softly before returning his attention back to the coffee and then to Sara once again.

She smiled softly to herself and picked up a small model of a butterfly.

"Yeah but that wasn't through lack of trying"

He almost dropped the cup he was holding and quickly placed it back on the counter. She on the other hand acted as if the words had never left her lips. When she came and sat opposite him he prayed that the colour of his cheeks had not betrayed him.

"Need any help?" She asked, gesturing towards the coffee cups.

"Erm… no it's ok, I'm done" He answered quickly before handing her a cup.

"You don't have any photos" She remarked inquisitively.

He shrugged, "I've never had any good ones I guess"

She frowned, as if contemplating his excuse, "Other than that I like it"

XXX

When they arrived at work together later that night they earned themselves many curious glances. When the situation had been explained to Ecklie and the rest of the night shift Grissom knew that gossip would spread like wildfire throughout the lab. When Catherine entered his office ten minutes before start of shift he wished he had taken up Sara's suggestion of keeping their living arrangements secret.

"You are just the man I was looking for"

Grissom glanced up from his paper work.

"Hello Catherine what can I do for you"

She gave him a sickly sweet smile in return and took the seat opposite.

"I heard about you and ……Sara"

He groaned and continued his paperwork in some vain hope that this would deter her. When he made the mistake of looking up to see if his ruse had worked her unrelenting eyes caught his. She knew him too well.

"The situation has been explained to all those who needed to be informed. Sara is staying with me until her building's secure. Anything else I can help you with that's not related to my personal life?"

She grinned widely like a cat that had just got the cream and the bird all in one.

"Nope that's all. For once your personal life is much more interesting than work. I'm surprised the four horsemen of the apocalypse haven't gone by"

The glare he threw her informed her that she had more than outstayed her welcome. She got the message and stood up holding her hands up a sign of submission before heading towards the door and turning once more to face him.

"Oh and while I remember, don't forget that the charity ball is in two weeks. We are all expected to attend. Invitations were sent out last week" She said, humour in her voice.

He did not wish to make the same mistake twice, and kept his attention on his files when he answered.

"I know. I have it and I won't forget"

He heard her movement return but then she stopped once more.

"Oh and Gil"

He looked up over the top of his notes this time and immediately caught the devil in her eyes.

"Staff are more than welcome to bring a date." With that she was gone as his grip tightened around the pen he might have thrown at her if she had remained in the room any longer.

XXX

Five minutes later he was heading towards the conference room with Catherine's comment still ringing in his ears. A date. Once upon a time he had many options, he supposed he still did, but he only wanted one. One he couldn't allow himself to have.

Sara and Greg were already waiting for him when he entered the conference room so he sat and immediately began.

"First things first, As result of Sofia's dismissal we have a new member of staff joining us tomorrow" He flicked through his notes "….. Shay Reed, out of the LA crime lab"

Sara's head shot up in recognition of the name.

"Oh my god, I'm going to kick his arse" The puzzlement in both Grissom's and Greg's face drew a further explanation from her.

"We were juniors at San Francisco together. We've kept in touch. Nothing serious but enough to warrant me kicking his arse for keeping it a secret"

Greg laughed at Sara's scowl and a pang of jealously rose in Grissom's stomach,

"Well he will be here tomorrow. Let's get back to the case"

Sara's face flushed red with embarrassment and Greg let out a small grin, which was quickly suppressed when Grissom saw it.

"Sara, anything back from DNA?"

"Yeah, DNA's back from the brush .It was a match to the victim. Sexual assault kit's also back. She was raped. Killer used a condom like we suspected" She finished with a sigh.

Greg continued, "He cleans up just like he did at the flat"

Grissom nodded, "I think it's more than that. The photos, the way he lays them out, the cleaning of the house. It's almost ritualistic. Like he wants to restore them to how they were before he got hold of them"

"Why, Guilt?" Greg asked, leaning inwards.

Grissom's reply was soft and unsure "Maybe"

Sara's voice broke softly,

"Maybe they're not the real focus of his rage"

The ensuing silence was broken by Brass.

"Well you better find out who is. We've found another victim"

XXX

Sara sat at the large display table tracing and re-tracing the partial eight on a photo of the victim's chest. She stretched her arms, back clicking in protest. She was at a dead end. The victim had turned up clean, no red flags. The serial numbers had been removed from the photos and the markings on the victim's chest had not been distinctive enough to identify a clear pattern, although an eight did look plausible. When she had phoned Grissom to tell him this he had told her not to worry and that he and Greg were nearly finished at the scene. That was an hour ago and she was beginning to get restless.

A loud wolf whistle broke the silence. She grinned ruefully but refused to turn around.

"I've told you already Nick, a wolf whistle is not the way to get the attention of a respectable lady anymore"

"Well respectable is not always fun Miss Sidle"

She turned and yelped in surprise at the figure standing before her.

"Shay"

He stepped forward, grinning broadly, and pulled her into a hug.

"Have you got taller?" He questioned mockingly as he released her.

She grinned and punched him playfully in the arm.

"All the emails and you never said a word. I could kill you" She said, smiling as he rubbed his arm while pouting his lips.

"I wanted it to be a surprise. I guess it worked"

Her smile broadened.

"Thought you didn't start till tomorrow?"

"I don't. Just thought I'd come in and get a feel for it. Conrad Ecklie just gave me the tour. Thought you were out in the field but then I saw your cute ass leaning over the table . . . . . . . "

She blushed red and interrupted him before he could finish.

"Behave. So what brings you to Vegas? Thought LA was where your heart was"

He shrugged and Sara immediately saw the pain wash over his face.

"My fiancée and I spilt up a few months back. She moved out so I decided to move on. Fresh start and all"

Sara sighed and squeezed his arm gently.

"Sorry to hear that"

He shrugged once more,

"Well shit happens………So when you off? We could grab a coffee or something"

The shuffle of bags alerted them to Grissom's and Greg's presence. Introducing them quickly, she gently led Shay to the door.

"Um, I'll have to skip coffee. Got loads to process. How about breakfast after your first shift tomorrow? My treat"

He smiled in acceptance. Before bidding Greg and Grissom goodbye and turning back to Sara.

"Good to see you Sara"

"Yeah you to"

And this was the comment that finally made Gil Grissom's stomach flip.


End file.
